Your profile photo is incredibly important.

Tech Insider/Molly Mulshine

There's a lot that goes into a good profile picture, but according to online dating expert Laurie Davis, it should boil down to a few things: it shouldn't be a super old picture, it shouldn't appear to be too staged, and above all it should actually look like you do in real life.

Women should make the first move.

Cathal McNaughton / Reuters

"Women who send the first message are 250% more likely to get a response than men," OkCupid chief product officer Jimena Almendares told Tech Insider.

Keep messages short.

Mario Anzuoni / Reuters

Shakespeare was on to something when he wrote, "Brevity is the soul of wit." OkCupid says you should keep your messages brief and direct. But don't be too formal — "what's up" is much better than beginning with just "hey."

Show that you're interested by being specific.

Hinge helps you make a connection by seeing mutual friends with a potential match.Hinge

It's a good idea to actually read someone's profile and come up with questions that make them feel like they're not just a random person you swiped right on.

Don't use the word "sorry" in your opener, ever. You’re 56% less likely to exchange numbers.

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Hinge found that opening lines containing the word "sorry" are 56% less likely to result in a phone number exchange. Even if you're late to responding, never apologize.

It's OK to use lighthearted slang like "haha" and "lol."

Check for typos.

"Check your spelling and grammar before hitting send," OkCupid's Almendares said. "Poorly written messages have less of a chance of getting an answer."

If you really like someone on Tinder, give them a Super Like.

Tinder

Super Like is a way to tell someone you really like them in the app. Free Tinder users already get one Super Like per day to use, and subscribers of Tinder's paid Plus plan are able to use more Super Likes.

Instead of swiping left or right, a swipe up initiates a Super Like. If someone has super liked you, a blue star will appear below their profile picture prompting you to Super Like them back.

A Super Like isn't special beyond the significance it can hold when used sparingly, which is the idea behind why Tinder usually only gives non-paying users one per day.